@Derek - if you experienced issues when trying to remove the authorship link, do not hesitate to send us an email, wel will be happy to help!
http://jetpack.me/contact-support/

@Rhys - It is safe to update. You can always follow the instructions here to deactivate a Jetpack module you don't use.

It's also worth noting that the Google Authorship link won't appear until you connect your site with your Google+ account under Settings > Sharing in your dashboard.